Fansided

MLB Awards Watch: Jake Arrieta challenges LA duo for NL Cy Young

By Brad Rowland

Aug 30, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta (49) reacts after thawing his final pitch of the ninth inning for a no hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Cubs won 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 30, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta (49) reacts after thawing his final pitch of the ninth inning for a no hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Cubs won 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 7
Next
Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa (1) fields a ground ball during the third inning against the Minnesota Twins at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa (1) fields a ground ball during the third inning against the Minnesota Twins at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

AL Rookie of the Year

  1. Carlos Correa, SS Houston Astros – It is wild to think what kind of numbers Correa would hold if he played the full season, but at the age of 20 (!), he is still the ROY favorite in the AL. Correa boasts a strong slash line of .281/.346/.514 over 324 plate appearances, and the combination of 17 home runs and 11 stolen bases will be big for his perceived value among voters. He is the full package as a former number one overall pick, and this race isn’t particularly close for me.
  2. Lance McCullers, SP Houston Astros – McCullers lives in the shadow of Correa, but he has been pretty good in his own right. Injury and workload issues work against McCullers as a legitimate challenger here, but his season-long numbers are impressive. Through 17 starts, he has a 3.07 ERA with 9.40 strikeouts per 9 innings, and that profile is enough to lead all MLB rookie pitchers in fWAR. Not bad.
  3. Francisco Lindor, SS Cleveland Indians – Lindor would be garnering a lot more chatter as the “next big thing” at shortstop if not for Correa. He is arguably the better defender of the two youngsters, and his bat has performed quite well in limited action, including a .305 batting average in 331 plate appearance. Lindor simply doesn’t possess the power that Correa can bring, and that will limit him down the line, but the defense plays in a big way and he’ll be in the mix for honors throughout his career.

Next: NL Cy Young

Home/MLB